This is not a post about the start of the (current) invasion of Ukraine. That milestone was hit over a month ago, on February 24th. This past week, two years ago, saw a couple more personal events — both of which were documented here, but it’s good not to forget.

The first is kind of a happy memory, although “happy” is somewhat relative. On March 22, 2022, Katya 2 and Vanya were able to get out of Mariupol and begin the journey (and process) that would eventually bring them to Vienna. It was nearly a full month after the attack and siege of Mariupol had begun, with the two of them living in the basement of their apartment building, sheltering with maybe a hundred other residents, usually in the cold and dark. Limited resources of any kind, especially after the Russians cut off power, water, internet service and blocked humanitarian shipments.

After a month of surviving such destitute conditions, they and a lot other people had had enough and figured that whatever might be waiting for them outside of Mariupol couldn’t be any worse. So Katya gathered up what she could — including, fortunately, some key documents and their family cat — and began walking west out of Mariupol. If I recall, they traveled about 12 miles on foot before getting to a local village where they were able to get some food and water, and connect with volunteers who could take them past the checkpoints and into Ukrainian-controlled territory. From there they were able to make their way to the border and eventually to Vienna, where a friend of Viktoria’s was able to offer some assistance (as well as the generosity of the Austrian government and people).

Since Katya and Zhenya broke up (distance and war would be trying on any relationship), I haven’t had contact with them, and not much news filters my way. But from the snippets I’ve heard, Katya and Vanya are still in Vienna and it sounds like they are managing quite well. I wish them continued success and, hopefully, happiness going forward.

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Unfortunately the other event from two years ago is more somber. Although the date isn’t completely established, it is generally thought that March 24, 2022 is the date that Viktoria’s sister Inna was killed by Russian shelling. This happened near the basement entrance where Katya 2 and Vanya had been staying. Inna came and went frequently during the siege, alternating time between the family apartment block and the apartment block of her boyfriend. The date of her death is somewhat imprecise since, during that time, the removal of the dead didn’t always happen expediently.

Adding to the confusion was the fact that there was little way to contact or track her. Viktoria did try to get in touch with her, and at one point it looked like her cell was working. (Often, if one could get out of the city proper, it was possible to get a wifi connection from an outlying house or village.) However, no communication attempts got a response and after about a week or so, the cell phone no longer appeared to be active.

Viktoria also monitored online Russian/DNR sites where people were able to get some food assistance in return for providing name and/or passport information. There was a point around the time that Inna’s cell phone was working when Viktoria also found her name on one of the sites of people receiving aid. All this happened after March 24th; Viktoria was heartened by Katya and Vanya’s escape and was hoping the same could/would happen with Inna.

As it turned out, though, Inna’s “boyfriend” had sold her phone and passport (for drugs or alcohol, I’m guessing, based on what I’d previously heard about that person), so it was someone else activating the phone and using Inna’s identification to get food. The phrase “adding insult to injury” definitely applies here.

After the siege was over and the occupation of Mariupol began, Baba Katya was able to track down information about Inna, including where her body had been buried. That information included the approximate estimated date of death, which is how we have the date of March 24th. (The Russians, like the Nazis in WWII, seem to like keeping records.) Even if the 24th is not exactly the right date, we can be fairly sure that Inna was killed around this time, two years ago.